Midrasz do Powtórzonego Prawa 4:6

Another matter, “who is like the wise man” – this is Israel, in whose regard it is written: “It is a particularly wise and understanding people” (Deuteronomy 4:6). “And who knows the meaning of a matter” – as they knew how to expound the Torah, forty-nine interpretations for ritual purity and a corresponding number for ritual impurity.⁵They could analyze from all angles a question regarding ritual purity, such that they could provide forty-nine rationales for each side of the argument. You find that when the Israelites stood at Mount Sinai and said: “We will perform and we will hearken” (Exodus 24:7), the aura of the supernal Divine Presence was placed upon them. When they sinned,⁶With the sin of the Golden Calf. they became the enemies of the Holy One blessed be He, as it is written: “And the boldness of his face is changed.”⁷The word changed [yeshuneh] is interpreted here to mean hated [yesuneh]. The Holy One blessed be He, too, changed matters for them, as it is written: “Indeed, you will die like man” (Psalms 82:7).⁸By contrast to the status they had before the sin: “I had said: You are divine, like celestial beings, all of you” (Psalms 82:6), but now they will die.

(Lev. 19:2:) “You shall be holy.” Why? Because I have made you cling to My loins, as stated (in Jer. 13:11), “For as the girdle clings unto one's loins, [so I have made all the House of Israel and all the House of Judah cling to Me, says the Lord].” Therefore, “You shall be holy, because I, the Lord am holy.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, [i.e.,] to Israel, “I am not like flesh and blood. With a king of flesh and blood, mortals have no right to be called by his name. You yourself know that, when someone wants to accuse¹²Gk.: kategorein. his fellow, he calls him Augustus¹³Lat.: Augusta. The text should read Augustus. See Jastrow, s.v., Agusta (‘GWST’). so-and-so; and there is no life for him. But Israel is called by the name of the Holy One, blessed be He.” He is called God (Powers); and He has called Israel powers, as stated (in Ps. 82:6), “I said, ‘You are powers.’” He is called wise, as stated (in Job 9:4), “One wise of heart and mighty in strength”; and He has called Israel wise, as stated (in Deut. 4:6), “surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” God is called beloved, as stated (in Cant. 5:10), “My beloved is bright and ruddy”; and He has called them beloved, as stated (Cant. 5:1), “eat, friends, [and drink to excess, beloved ones].” He is called chosen, as stated (in Cant. 5:15), “stately (literally: chosen) as the cedars”; and He has called them chosen, as stated (in Deut. 7:6), “the Lord your God has chosen you.” He is called pious, as stated (in Jer. 3:12), “’For I am pious,’ says the Lord”; and He has called them pious, as stated (in Ps. 50:5), “Gather to me, my pious ones.” He is called holy, as stated (in Is. 6:3), “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts,” and also (Ps. 99:9), “for the Lord our God is holy”; and He has called Israel holy, as stated (in Lev. 19:2), “You shall be holy.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world you have been called holy. In the world to come (according to Is. 4:3), “And it shall come to pass that the one who is left in Zion and who remains in Jerusalem shall be called holy.”

Another interpretation (of Gen. 12:2): FOR I WILL MAKE YOU A GREAT NATION. What is the greatness of your children? < It lies > in the Torah, as stated (in Deut. 4:6) SURELY < THIS GREAT NATION > IS A WISE AND UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE. (Gen. 12:2, cont.:) I WILL BLESS YOU when I bless you with my glory.¹⁸Tanh., Gen. 3:4. (Ibid., cont.:) AND MAGNIFY YOUR NAME so that your name is magnified throughout the world. (Ibid., cont.:) SO BECOME A BLESSING. What is the meaning of SO BECOME A BLESSING? Your blessing shall precede my blessing, since (in the Eighteen Benedictions of the liturgy) they say: THE SHIELD OF ABRAHAM (in the first benediction), and afterwards WHO REVIVES THE DEAD (in the second one, which is called God's Benediction).

(Lev. 19:2:) YOU SHALL BE HOLY. Why? (Ibid., cont.:) BECAUSE I< , THE LORD YOUR GOD, > AM HOLY; for I have made you cling to my loins, as stated (in Jer. 13:11): FOR, AS THE GIRDLE CLINGS UNTO ONE'S LOINS, < SO I HAVE MADE ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND ALL THE HOUSE OF JUDAH CLING TO ME, SAYS THE LORD >.¹⁶Tanh., Lev. 7:5. The Holy One said to them, < i.e., > to Israel, I am not like flesh and blood. With a king of flesh and blood, mortals have no right to be called by his name. You yourself know that, when someone wants to accuse¹⁷Gk.: kategorein. his fellow, he calls him Augustus¹⁸Lat.: Augusta. The text should read Augustus. See Jastrow, s.v., Agusta (‘GWST’). so-and-so; and there is no life for him. But Israel is called by the name of the Holy One. He is called God; and he has called Israel gods, as stated (in Ps. 82:6): I SAID: YOU ARE GODS. He is called wise, as stated (in Job 9:4): ONE WISE OF HEART AND MIGHTY IN STRENGTH; and he has called Israel wise, as stated (in Deut. 4:6): SURELY THIS GREAT NATION IS A WISE AND UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE. God is called beloved, as stated (in Cant. 5:10): MY BELOVED IS BRIGHT AND RUDDY; and he has called them beloved, as stated (Cant. 5:1): EAT, FRIENDS, AND DRINK TO EXCESS, BELOVED ONES. He is called chosen, as stated (in Cant. 5:15): STATELY (literally: CHOSEN) AS THE CEDARS; and he has called them chosen, as stated (in Deut. 7:6): [THE LORD YOUR GOD] HAS CHOSEN YOU. He is called pious, as stated (in Jer. 3:12): FOR [I] AM PIOUS, SAYS THE LORD; and he has called them pious, as stated (in Ps. 50:5): GATHER TO ME, MY PIOUS ONES. He is called holy, as stated (in Is. 6:3): HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD OF HOSTS; and he has called Israel holy, [as stated (in Lev. 19:2): YOU SHALL BE HOLY.] The Holy One said: In this world you have been called holy, but in the world to come (according to Is. 4:3): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT THE ONE WHO IS LEFT IN ZION AND WHO REMAINS IN JERUSALEM SHALL BE CALLED HOLY.

R. Simon b. Pazi in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi who spoke in the name of b. Kappara, said: "Concerning him who understands the science of astronomy and does not practice it, the passage says (Is. 5, 12.) But the deeds of the Lord, they regard not, and the work of His hands they behold not." R. Samuel b. Nachmeini in the name of R. Jonathan said: "Whence do we learn that a man is commanded to study the science of astronomy? It says (Deu. 4, 6.) Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding before the eyes of the nations. What kind of wisdom and understanding is recognized in the eyes of the nations? It is the wisdom of astronomy."

8) (Vayikra 18:3) "and in their statutes you shall not walk": What did Scripture leave unsaid (that this need be stated)? Is it not already written (Devarim 18:10) "There shall not be found among you one who passes his son or daughter through fire … (Devarim 18:11) and a chover chaver, etc."? What, then, is the intent of "and in their statutes you shall not walk"? In their customs — those things that are established for them — such as theatres, circuses, and sports. R. Meir says: These are "the ways of the Emorites," which the sages enumerated. R. Yehudah b. Betheira says: that you not preen yourself (to attract women), and not cultivate locks, and not wear the hair komi (a gentile fashion). And lest you say: "They have statutes and we have no statutes" — It is, therefore, written (Vayikra 18:9) "My judgments shall you do and My statutes you shall heed to walk in them; I am the L–rd your G d." — But there is still "hope" for the yetzer hara to reflect and say "But theirs are more beautiful than ours!" — It is, therefore, written (Devarim 4:6) "And you shall heed and you shall do. For this is your wisdom and your understanding."

[Another interpretation (of Eccl. 8:1): WHO IS LIKE THE WISE PERSON? This is Israel, of whom it is written (in Deut. 4:6): SURELY THIS GREAT NATION IS A WISE AND UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE.¹⁰¹Eccl. R. 8:1:3. (Eccl. 8:1, cont.:) AND WHO KNOWS THE INTERPRETATION OF A SAYING? <These are> the ones who know how to interpret the Torah with forty-nine reasons for declaring an object clean and forty-nine reasons for declaring an object unclean.¹⁰²See above, Numb. 6:7, and the parallels listed there. (Eccl. 8:1, cont.:) A PERSON'S WISDOM LIGHTS UP HIS FACE. R. Zakkay of Sha'av <said> in the name of Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman: You find that, when Israel stood before Mount Sinai and said (in Exod. 24:7): <ALL THAT THE LORD HAS SPOKEN> WE WILL CARRY OUT AND OBEY, the Holy One gave them some of the glory of the Divine Presence. This is what is written (in Ezek. 16:14): AND YOUR NAME SPREAD AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOUR BEAUTY. Then when they said in the incident of that calf (in Exod. 32:4): THIS IS YOUR GOD, O ISRAEL. They became enemies (rt.: SN') of the Omnipresent. This is what is written (in Eccl. 8:1, cont.): AND THE RADIANCE OF HIS (i.e., Israel's) FACE IS CHANGED (rt.: ShNH).¹⁰³The Hebrew roots, SN’ and ShNH, are closer than would appear in transliteration. The S in SN’ is a sin and would be indistinguishable from the Sh of ShNH in an unvoweled text. As for the final letters, alef and he are often confused in the Hebrew of this period. So the Holy One also changed (rt.: ShNH) the promises concerning them, as stated (in Ps. 82:7): INDEED YOU SHALL DIE LIKE A HUMAN.]¹⁰⁴As Adam was expelled from Eden, so the generation of the golden calf was kept from the promised land.

Another matter, “wisdom will bolster the wise” – this is Moses; “more than ten rulers” – more than the ten organs that serve the body, [and] which Moses subdued: [Food is generally brought] from the mouth to the esophagus, from the esophagus to the maw, from the maw to the stomach, from the stomach to the lower stomach, from the lower stomach to the duodenum, from the duodenum to the jejunum, from the jejunum to the ileum, from the ileum to the large intestine, from the large intestine to the colon, from the colon to the rectum, from the rectum to the anus, and from the anus outside. Moses did not need any of them, not to ingest and not to egest, as it is stated: “He was there with the Lord forty days…bread he did not eat and water he did not drink” (Exodus 34:28).